WGFC assisted the Avondale Fire Company on an early morning fire in Toughkenamon on July 4th.

The view from Command 23

Ladders on all sides and floors of the building provide for emergency egress and rescue.

Crews standby in the "manpower pool"

Crews pack up to enter the structure for secondary search

Ladder 22 lights up the scene as crews open up a wall enveloped by fire on the structures "B" side

WGFC continue overhaul after the fire was extinguished

Crews work the B side

The view from Ladder 22

A fire on the porch spread to the wall in this home fire.

WGFC crews continue overhaul

By First Captain Tim Shannon & Secretary Bill Wohl

July 11, 2018

In the early morning hours of the 4th of July, the West Grove Fire Company was dispatched to the 100 block of Maple Lane in Toughkenamon for a working house fire to assist Station 23 Avondale. Moments after dispatch, Chief 23 arrived on scene with a two and a half story house with smoke showing, with fire in the walls. Ladder 22 went responding at 4:30am with a crew of five volunteers. Ladder 22 arrived on scene as the first due ladder company, right behind Engine 23-1. The ladder crew split: two crew members going inside, while the remaining three stayed outside.

The inside crew followed behind E23-1's crew, conducting a thorough secondary search of the first floor, second floor, and attic. While conducting the search, the interior crew ventilated the structure as they went, opening the windows as they encountered them. After each room was searched, the crew closed the doors, to allow for ventilation to begin. Once the secondary search was completed with negative findings, the crew came outside to meet up with the exterior crew. By that point, the exterior deployed the majority of the ladder compliment stored on the apparatus, laddering all four sides of the house, and each elevation of the structure.

WGFC Engines 22-2 and 22-3 also responded, and those crews assisted in attacking the fire in the wall and with lighting and ventilation.

Once the fire was placed under control by command, the WGFC crews were tasked with deploying the four positive pressure fans from the apparatus. The crew took the fans inside the structure, and positively ventilated the rooms, removing the smoke and gases.

The WGFC crews remained on scene until being released by Command at 6:19am.